This Ash Gourd Recipe is a dish from the Kerala Cuisine called Ash Gourd Thoran. It is simply ash gourd cooked in coconut oil with onions, spices, herbs and finished with coconut.

Recipe Snapshot

  • Prep time: 15 minutes
  • Cook time: 20 minutes
  • Total time: 35 minutes
  • Yield: 3
  • Category: Side Dish
  • Cuisine: Kerala

Ingredients

  • 200 grams ash gourd ((kumbalanga or white gourd or petha or winter melon) - peeled and chopped)
  • ⅓ cup finely chopped onions (or 1 medium-sized onion)
  • 1 green chili (- chopped finely or ½ teaspoon, chopped)
  • ½ teaspoon mustard seeds
  • ½ teaspoon cumin seeds (- optional)
  • ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
  • 12 to 15 curry leaves
  • ½ cup fresh grated coconut
  • 1 to 1.5 tablespoons coconut oil
  • salt (as required)

Method

  1. Rinse the ash gourd. Peel and later chop the ash gourd and keep them ready with the chopped onions and green chili. Remove the seeds from the ash gourd.
  2. In a pan, heat the coconut oil. Add the mustard seeds and when they pop add the cumin seeds.
  3. When the cumin seeds sizzle in the hot oil add the onions. Sauté the onions till transparent on medium-low heat.
  4. Add the curry leaves and green chilli. Sauté for a few seconds.
  5. Now add the ash gourd.
  6. Add the turmeric powder and saute for a minute.
  7. Cover the pan and let the ash gourd cook in its own juices. Do not add water as ash gourd has enough water in it. Cook for 7 to 8 minutes till the ash gourd is almost done. Then add the grated coconut.
  8. Mix the coconut well with the veggie. Add salt and cook covered for a couple of minutes.
  9. Serve ash gourd thoran as a side dish or with dal and rice or sambar and rice. You can also have this dish with chapati.

Kiyaan Singh’s Kitchen Note

Keep this recipe as a working base: cook once as written, then adjust spice, texture, and serving style for your own table.